Wednesday, September 28, 2016

I have an SF story called "Me and Alice" in the new Alien Artifacts anthology, edited by Josh Palmatier and Patricia Bray. "Me and Alice" is about a young boy who's worried about his pet toad. Alice is very elderly (for a toad) and hasn't been feeling too well, but old age isn't something you can fix with care or medicine. An archaeological dig on his family's land provides a distraction, and a puzzle.

This anthology, and its sister book, Were, were funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign, and backers got mass market paperback copies. My trib copies were also MMPs, which is pretty cool; I've never had anything come out in that format before. Paper copies for sale now are trade size.

Josh and Patricia are also doing a Kickstarter campaign for their next batch of anthologies. This year they're doing three -- All Hail Our Robot Conquerors, Submerged, and The Death of All Things. They sound like fun; I'm especially looking forward to writing for Robot Conquerors, and maybe Submerged. And maybe Death of All Things too, but who knows? :) They've already made their goal, and have just a few days left, so you can pledge knowing that you'll definitely get whatever goodies you sign up for.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

If you've just wandered in off the internet, hi and welcome. :) I do these posts every month, so if this post isn't dated in the same month you're in, click here to make sure you're seeing the most recent one.

Markets with specific deadlines are listed first, "Until Filled" markets (if any) are at the bottom. There are usually more details on the original site; always click through and read the full guidelines before submitting. Note that some publishers list multiple guidelines on one page, so after you click through you might have to scroll a bit.

Note that The Binge-Watching Cure is open until December, but they're only taking one story of each specified length, and three of the categories are filled already, so if you want to sub to them, do so ASAP.

Lawless Lands: Tales from the Weird Frontier is an anthology embodying the frontier spirit of the American West, but with a weird twist. Gunslingers with laser pistols, cattle drives through the galaxy, cursed nuggets of gold, and talking jack rabbits that grant wishes. Fantasy, SF, or horror, if it’s weird, we want to see it.

The book will be funded with a Kickstarter campaign in December 2016. We will pay each author a minimum of 4 cents a word, with the possibility of more if the Kickstarter is successful, and two physical copies.

Word count: 3000 to 7000 words. We might be willing to entertain a story longer than the max, but please ask before submitting, and it had better be a pretty incredible story.

Genre: Fantasy, SF, or horror. No erotica.

Format: Word documents (.doc; .docx) only; 12 point Times New Roman, double-spaced. Please include your name and email address at the beginning of your word document as it will get separated from your original email.

Subject Line for Email: LawlessLands – (Your Name) – (Name of Story)

Cover Letter: We’re happy to see a cover email explaining your previous publications, but try to keep it short and sweet. And don’t stress if you have no prior publication experience – we love discovering stars!

Bestselling author Hy Bender (BookProposal.net; 16 books including 5 Dummies books, a Complete Idiot's Guide, and The Sandman Companion; The New York Times, Mad Magazine) and book developer Will Paoletto (Enterprise Cometh; My Bad Parent) are putting together a short story fiction anthology titled Ghosts on Drugs.

And we're inviting you to send us a story so great that we can't resist saying "yes" to it.

The only rule is that a tale include some version of at least one ghost who's on some version of at least one drug.

And both key terms are broadly defined—e.g., a ghostwriter hooked on cough syrup could fit, and a dead ancient god with an inhumanly intense craving to be worshipped again could too.

Also, a story can run anywhere from 2 pages to 30 pages, so a short-short tale that's a solid fit for the collection will definitely be considered.

We expect many of the stories will be a mix of comedy and fantasy. However, the book is also open to horror, SF, adventure, drama, etc., as well as any combination of genres. Whatever the category, we're seeking stories that are extremely entertaining, appeal to a wide-ranging audience (high concepts are especially appreciated), and provide an emotionally satisfying ending (smartly crafted character arcs/transformations are especially appreciated).

We're aiming to include some of the world's top comedians, a bunch of superb writers, and one or two celebrities who happen to be drug fans.

Some of the advantages of being in this anthology:

== Getting a credit for a book that's likely to receive substantial attention because of its cool high concept, wildly inventive range of ideas, and exceptionally fine writing.
== Having your name alongside other impressive celebrity talents (if you're a star) or taking a helpful step on your career path (if you're not a star yet).
== Receiving payment on our acceptance—15 cents a word for the first 2,500 words and 6 cents a word after that (to encourage tight writing).
== Receiving a share of the royalties (based on word count).
== Working with Hy—a world-class editor—to make your story the very best it can be.
== Fun!

If the above sounds appealing, then please feel highly encouraged to submit material. The initial deadline is March 1st, 2016. (This might get extended, or not, depending on what comes in.)

For the sake of saving you time and effort, we recommend running an idea by Hy first to ensure it isn't redundant with something we've already purchased for the collection. However, if you prefer to just write and send us a complete story, that's great too.

Please send anything related to the anthology to Hy Bender at hy@hyreviews.com.

We're offering payment of: 2¢ per word (AUD), plus contributor’s electronic copy. Providing we cover costs with the first run, contributors will receive one (1) copy of the paperback gratis, plus the option to buy up to five (5) additional copies at publisher's cost. Hardbacks will be produced if demand allows.

What's HOT:

Oz Horror Con is seeking original thriller, suspense, dark fantasy or supernatural tales 3,000-5,000 words to be published in our forthcoming 'Between the Tracks' anthology, intended publication Q1 2017. "Between the Tracks" should give you some inspiration, but please be imaginative. We don't want reprints (unless they're amazing!) or cliched tropes, re-writes of movies plots or other published works. Don't limit yourself to train tracks either. Think outside the tracks to deliver us something between the tracks.

Stories should be dark, and include a train or something similar - a tram, a cart, some other kind of vehicle that requires a track. Perhaps metaphorical tracks. Whatever track your mind takes, but it must be integral to the story. This will be targeted at a mature audience, but we're not looking for sex fantasies... unless pivotal to the plot of course! For an example of the kind of story we love, read any of the stories from the editor Steve Dillon, at The Refuge Collection www.RefugeCollection.com.

What's NOT:

We're not after excessive gore, torture porn, rape, homophobia, racial or other bigotry or misogyny. You can be explicit with themes and language if required for the story to work, for as long as it's required and not gratuitous. We prefer supernatural horror, creepy tales and suspenseful thrillers than a reliance on visceral horror.

Edition and Rights:

Between the Tracks will be published in electronic and paperback form in English - If there's enough demand, we will put out a deluxe hardback. We are asking for exclusive, worldwide rights to your work for both electronic and print for six months. Payment: Payment is 2¢ per word (AUD) for new fiction, paid at publication, via PayPal only. If you do not have a PayPal account, please do not submit your work. Authors will receive one copy of the electronic version of the anthology.

Submission Procedures:

There is no cost to submit, and no complicated forms to fill in. Just submit your best story by email to GhostTrain@OzHorrorCon.com - Include a cover letter with a link to your author bio, and let us know something about your story - not a summary or a re-telling of the story, but what your story is really about - the story beneath the story - between the tracks - if you like. We are NOT accepting poetry. Please do not send poems. Poetry will be deleted without a response. No reprints. All stories should be in rich text format (.rtf) or Word (.doc or .docx) only.

We do accept simultaneous submissions, but not multiple submissions, and please let us know if your story has been accepted elsewhere. Please send your best work only. Only one story from each author will be considered. If you’re not sure if your story is suitable, feel free to email your idea to us; or just go ahead and submit it and let us decide.

The monsters we have come to know and love take a backseat as we delve into the darkest, most hideous depths of a monster that has taken centre stage as of late–HUMANS. I’m looking for ‘psychological horror’, horror that comes from within.

There lies a darkness in us all–what are some of the scariest atrocities humans are capable of doing? What ‘demons’ lurk in their heads, causing them to do the things they do? Humans can also create monsters out of humans…. Tell me “how”–the possibilities are endless. I want to see how ugly the human race can really get.

Poetry and Stories up to 7,000 words will be accepted. Poetry–no word limit. Artwork is most welcome; send up to 5 pieces.

Oscillate Widly Press buys Exclusive Worldwide English Language Rights (no reprints), with 6 month exclusivity after first publication, and pays 3c per word to a maximum for short stories. No simultaneous or multiple submissions please, and no reprints.

CAVEAT: If rape is involved somewhere in your story, it must not be the ‘center focus’. (In other words, no heavily detailed descriptions the act itself.)

CAVEAT II: SEND ALL SUBMISSIONS AS AN ATTACHMENT AND *NOT* IN THE BODY OF YOUR EMAIL. PLEASE PUT YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION *ON* YOUR ATTACHMENT.

How do you cure your Netflix (or Amazon, Google movie, or Hulu) addiction and return to your first love, reading books? You know you want to read more. You know you enjoy reading. You know you look forward to finishing a book because then you can start a new adventure.

But how? How do you get into reading when the siren call of streaming movies becomes more powerful every year? A three-hundred page novel is daunting in the face of Netflix and friends’ wonders. It’s too easy to put on pajamas, pour a glass of wine, and offer your eyes to a TV, tablet, or computer screen until sleep summons you.

Enter The Binge-Watching Cure: Fabulous Stories that Start Small and Grow Longer, edited by Bill Adler Jr. The Binge-Watching Cure will be an anthology of short stories of increasing size. The first story will be 100 words—anyone can read that. The next, 200 words. Then 500, then longer, all the way to novella length. By the time you’ve finished reading The Binge-Watching Cure, you’ll be able to tackle Joyce and Pynchon. Or at the very least, you’ll enjoy novels you hear about from friends and family. The Binge-Watching Cure will reignite your love for reading; it will better your life.

Just as you enter a cold swimming pool one body part at a time, get used to drinking beer sip by foamy sip, or learn to enjoy spicy food in little, fiery nibbles, The Binge-Watching Cure gradually acclimates you to reading longer and longer stories, until a novel-length book goes down smoothly, tasting sweet, and making you want more.We want your writing.

We’re looking for stellar stories of various lengths for The Binge-Watching Cure. The stories must have strong characters and compelling plots. Genre fiction is okay because great fiction often crosses the genre barrier. No erotica and no stories with excessive violence. Please see our FAQ for more about what we’re looking for.

We pay $200 for short stories that are under 5,000 words and $500 for stories that are 5,000 words or longer. We will be licensing the non-exclusive print and electronic book rights, including foreign-language rights (but not audio, film rights, or magazine rights). Your name and bio will be included along with your story. Contributors also receive a copy of The Binge-Watching Cure. Previously published stories are okay, as are simultaneous submissions. There will be a signed contract, of course. The Binge-Watching Cure will be published in 2017.

Please email us your story at bingecurebook@gmail.com and send us your story in DOC, DOCX, RTF, or PDF format, double spaced with human being-readable margins, and in a sensible font such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Courier.

Include the exact word count, along with your contact information at the top of the manuscript.

Our FAQ has more information on what kind of stories we’re looking for and what kind of stories are not a match for The Binge-Watching Cure.

Please include a brief bio in your cover letter, as well as your contact information in both the manuscript and cover letter. Briefly summarize your story and let us know what genre, if any, your story is. If your story has been published elsewhere, let us know where and when. (Previously published stories are perfectly okay.) Content is more important than format, so don’t sweat things like line breaks. We’ll try to get back to you as soon as we can. Submissions close December 31, 2016, or as soon as the story slots are filled.

Please put your story’s title and word count in your email’s subject line. Please submit only one story at a time and read our FAQ about multiple submissions.

Here’s the important part: We want stories within 15 percent of the following word counts (within 20 percent for stories 10,000 words and longer):

The Binge-Watching Cure will have one story from each of these length categories.

[NOTE: Yes, this is much earlier than I usually post listings, but this book is filling each length slot individually, and only once; according to the site's Submissions page, the 6000, 7000 and 10,000 word slots are filled already. If you have a story of a particular length that you want to submit here, send it in now. Normally I wouldn't post this until October, but by that time many if not most (or maybe all) of the slots might be filled already, so I'm giving everyone an early heads-up.]

About Me

My name is Angie and I'm a writer living in Seattle, WA with my husband. I publish science fiction, fantasy and crime stories under Angela Penrose, and romance and erotica under Angela Benedetti. I pretty much live at the computer, either writing or online or both. My schedule is chaotically variable, so I might be awake or asleep at any given moment. It's not all bad; writing at 2am when it's quiet is actually pretty cool.